Rising Tide
by Caskettlove77
Summary: Takes place after they have finished the case in L.A. Unable to catch a flight back to New York, they are forced to stay another night. Romance.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A little fluff you may enjoy. Leave a review if you please. I write for fun so be kind :)

* * *

Kate hears him end the call and her eyes follow his body as he enters the spacious living room and sits down beside her.

"So, the bad news is that the next flight that I could get us on is at 5 pm _tomorrow_. But, the good news," he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "is that we have an extra free night to relax. Maybe we could get that massage…"

"_Castle_," She responds in warning.

"Ok, no couples massage, but we might as well take advantage of the free time. What would you like to do? Want to get something to eat?"

She knows he's trying not to push, and he wants to please her. Especially after everything that's happened with Royce and the case. It's sweet really, the way he tries to make her smile and she feels a familiar warmth spread through her chest.

"You know what I'd like to do?"

"What? Name it and we'll do it," he's quick to respond.

"I'd like to go take a walk on the beach."

He deflates a little, "Oh, ok sure. I'll stay here and wait for you then. I can have dinner here when you get back. "

"_Castle_, I was kind of hoping you'd come with..." she says in question.

Just like that, his face lights up again, "Yeah, of course. Let's go."

* * *

It's late enough in the evening that most of the swimmers and tourists are gone from the beach. The sun is lowering on the horizon but hasn't set quite yet and still provides a radiating warmth to their skin despite the breeze from the ocean.

The sand near the water's edge is damp, compact and the perfect consistency to walk on barefoot. Beckett halts their progress as she takes his forearm and reaches down with the other hand to remove her sandals. When she's done he reaches down and does the same.

Seeing as they are mostly alone they decide to leave their shoes there as they continue down the shoreline.

"It's beautiful out here," Kate says looking out at the rolling waves.

"Yes, it is. I've always loved the peace of the ocean."

"Is that why you bought your house in the Hamptons?"

He pauses to glance at the water. "I think at first it was more about just being able to buy it. But later, it became a second home to us. Alexis and I have made so many traditions there and that's what makes it special now...But, at night when Alexis goes go to bed, I like to go back out and sit by myself on the sand and listen to the waves crashing to shore. Contemplate life and all."

"_You_ contemplating life?" she teases.

"Haha," he responds in a mock tone.

"Actually it does sounds nice."

Rick hummed his approval. "You know, there is an open offer for you to come out any time," he says softly glancing over to her.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"_Really_?"

He catches the side of her smile as she looks down at the sand. "Yes, really."

They walk in silence for a few moments, watching the seagulls swoop and rise as they look for dinner. Every now and then Kate reaches down to pick up a shell and holds her palm out for Castle to see her treasures.

"Want to sit for a minute and watch the sunset?" he asks tentatively.

"Sure."

They sit side by side, a tranquil peace falling over both of them. It's so nice to be with him. Everything seems better, even when they don't talk, things just always feel right with him.

She's had feelings for him probably longer than she'd like to admit. What he did for her, following her out here on this rogue mission just cements the feelings she's tried to push aside. What she felt for him over a year ago was real and they've only grown closer since. Last night she came so close to crossing that line with him. Too close, but at the same time, part of her wishes he would have still been on the couch when she'd opened her door.

Castle watches as she silently wiggles her toes in and out of the sand, and the sun nears the horizon in front of them.

"So, if you don't want to talk about it that's fine, but, um… are you doing ok? With all of this, with...Royce?"

She sighs before she responds and for a brief moment, he regrets the question.

"You know, I almost feel like I grieved a little when he betrayed me before. I mean he was still alive, but the trust was broken, the relationship had changed. At least now I know that he was turning his life around, that he was doing good and helping people again. He was getting back to being the man I knew him to be. And, thanks to your help we got justice for him. The rest will just take time."

He's not sure what compels him to do it, not after he spooked her last night, but he reaches over and takes her hand. "I'm here. Anything you need Kate."

Her eyes travel from their linked hands up to his face and finally land on his eyes; the blue intensified by the reflection of the water. He holds her gaze, adoration shining back at her, the intensity of their connection causing her to delay her response.

"I know you are. Thank you," she says with a squeeze of his hand.

After a moment he releases her, remembering there is a clear line he can't cross. He shouldn't cross. She's spoken for and he will not be that man, though it seems to be getting harder every day.

As the sun sets and the sky reaches its peak array of colors, Castle pulls out his phone and takes a picture. Then he turns and silently catches one of Kate as she's focused on the view. Her skin and hair shine golden amber in the sun's fading glow. She's gorgeous.

It's not long before the first shimmers of starlight fill the sky and the air grows crisp.

"Ready to head back?" he wonders aloud.

"Yeah, let's go. I'm getting hungry...but I'm not really in the mood to go out anywhere."

"How about we go back to the room and order room service?"

"Burgers and fries?" she inquires.

"And ice cream?"

She smiles wide, "sounds perfect."

He rises from his spot, brushes off the sand from his hands before offering one to her to help her up.

"Oohh, we can watch a movie while we eat!" he says excitedly.

She shakes her head with a repressed smile. "As long as it's not Star Wars again."

As they walk the temperature continues to drop. From the corner of his eye, he sees her shiver. He stops to quickly unzip his grey hoodie and then jogs to catch up to her again.

"Here, it's getting chilly," Castle says stretching the garment towards her.

"I'm fine," she replies seeing that he was left in only his v-neck tee.

"_Kate_," he says with pleading eyes.

She takes the sweatshirt and pulls it around her shoulders. "Thank you."

It smells of his cologne, and it's still warm from his body.

She doesn't want to have to give it back.

* * *

He orders the food as soon as they return to the suite. Beckett excuses herself to shower and Rick takes advantage of the time to check in with Alexis.

He's just finished setting out the food on the coffee table when she joins him, dressed in the same leggings from last night, a fresh t-shirt and _his_ sweatshirt. Her hair is starting to dry and soft curls are forming and framing her face.

He has to physically make himself take a breath and look away.

Dinner was fun, the two of them casual and comfortable with one another. He even had her laughing before the night's end. He was careful not to get too close, not to push or put them in the position they were in the previous evening. How he'd longed to kiss her last night.

Now, Beckett has said goodnight and gone back to her room. Castle is turning out the last of the lights when he notices a white folded paper on the floor. Thinking it was a note they had written while working on the case he picks it up and opens it.

It's the note from Royce.

He refolds it quickly, doing his best to suppress his desire to see what it says and instead walks towards Kate's door to give it to her.

As he gets closer he hears her voice.

"I know that but Lanie..."

He decides to give her the peace she deserves but before he can walk away, he's captured back by her next words. "He's my partner, he's… he's my best friend..._besides_ you. I'm just so afraid I'll ruin everything...I can't lose him, Lanie."

His heart is racing, pounding, in his chest and his mind is imagining a million things she could be talking about. He hopes, he hopes with all that he is that this means she feels it too. Feels the connection that they share. He hopes that she doesn't have some horrible thing to tell him but that she wants to actually _be_ with him.

He comes back from his thoughts and realizes that he needs to get away from her door. Now. He shouldn't listen anymore, shouldn't betray her trust.

He walks briskly back to his room and closes the door. Castle collapses onto the bed and lets his eyes close while he tries to reign in his emotions. He doesn't want to get ahead of himself. He doesn't want to be let down. This is something his heart has desired for so long.

When he opens his eyes, he realizes that he's still holding the letter. There's a new crease in the middle from where he unintentionally squeezed it in his fist. With what he's just heard, he feels weak. Weak in the most beautiful of ways, but his resolve is thin and he feels incapable of putting the letter down now.

So he opens it.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Sorry to have taken so long to update, but life happened. I apologize for any mistakes. _

_Thanks to all who follow. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

She slept for a little while but her latest nightmare has lead to tossing and turning for the past hour. A glance at the nightstand shows it is 3 am. She thought her talk with Lanie would help, but it's only made her more anxious.

Kate had called Josh. She didn't want to have the conversation she needed to have with him on the phone, but she couldn't wait any longer. The need to clear things up, to move forward and stop with her ambivalence burned in her, but he hadn't answered.

This compounded with the fact that she was still processing her feelings of losing Royce. Her mind and her body felt trapped in some kind of internal tropical storm and she desperately wanted to evacuate as soon as possible.

Frustrated, Kate throws the covers back and walks out of her room to search for something to drink-anything to calm her nerves. She's trying to be as quiet as possible as to not wake Castle. It's dark in the living room and as she turns, her arm hits a glass on the side table sending it crashing to the floor.

"Shit!" She mutters even more annoyed with herself. Frustrated, tired and emotional, she can feel the threat of tears beginning to sting her eyes. Resigned to her feelings, her body gives in and she drops to her knees in front of the mess she made on the floor.

"Beckett?"

His voice comes sleep drenched a moment later from behind her.

She closes her eyes, suddenly embarrassed by how it looks to be crying over a broken glass on the hotel room floor. Kate wipes at her eyes quickly as she feels him approach.

"What-what happened?" He says right before he turns on the nearest lamp.

"Stupid glass. I didn't turn on the light and I knocked it over."

She can't help but notice how adorably sleep rumpled he is as she watches him pull the trashcan over and grab a piece of paper to use as a makeshift dustpan and broom.

When he kneels down beside her she can't hide her face anymore.

"Kate, are you hurt? What's wrong?" He asks rushed and worried as he looks her over, inspecting her for cuts or blood.

She promptly stands; needs to get away from the too-tender look on his face, and steps forward away from him. "I'm fine. Sorry I woke you. I was trying to be quiet," she can hear the tremble in her own voice, though she tries so hard to hide it.

Castle finishes up with the glass and she thinks she's been able to hide the mess she feels like inside when she senses him behind her.

"Kate," he whispers, his hand reaching out to rest on her upper arm, warm and reassuring. The problem is that she wants to run from him-and to him at the same time.

"I'm ok. I'm fine...I'm just tired and…" an audible sigh escapes her and he must see her deflate a little.

"And…" he questions when she doesn't continue.

He moves to stand before her and his heart physically aches in his chest at seeing her struggle to stop crying.

"...and I guess everything with Royce just reminds me that there's another person important to me who is gone and… and I'm glad we got justice for him but it just reminds me that I still…" her voice breaks off and she looks down at her feet unable to continue.

"That you still don't have justice for your mom?" His voice gentle when he says it.

She feels a tear fall down her cheek and without knowing how it happens, she finds herself in his arms. Safe and warm in his embrace while he whispers reassurances in her ear.

Her own arms slide between his robe and t-shirt to wrap around his middle as she sinks into him and lets his strength seep into her body.

After a while she leans back to face him, her hands still flush against his sides. His ocean eyes trace her face, searching for her reaction and she sees hope in their depths. Her eyes dart down to his lips, anticipation rages in her veins. She should be panicking, but this feels like the most natural thing in the world. She's wanted him for so long.

Just as she feels his breath graze her lips she's shaken from the haze of her desires. Reality hits her like a jab to the gut.

She raises her hand to his cheek and runs the pad of her thumb over his soft lips and reverently stops him from coming any closer. Kate watches his eyes close and he stills. She feels her own eyes shut as they each take in short breaths. What lasts mere seconds feels as if time itself has stopped.

"I'm sorry," Rick whispers as her thumb still traces his mouth.

Before she can answer, before she can make it clear that his advances are not unwanted, just badly timed, he's dropping his arms and backing away from her. He clears his throat as he gets closer to his bedroom door, "It's been a long few days. Let's get some sleep. I'll make sure the glass is fully cleaned up in the morning."

"Castle-" she calls, taking one step forward. She's not sure what to say but she should say something-anything to take away the look of hurt on his face.

"Good night," he says with finality, walking to his suite and closing the door.

"Night," she says barely above a whisper still processing what just transpired. Suddenly it is so very clear what she needs to do-what she needs to do quickly.

Kate makes her way back to her room and finds her pulse racing as her feet pace the floor. No way she will sleep now. Her mind is running and her body is alight with glowing embers of heat growing just thinking about him, just remembering the feel of being in his arms. He frightened her tonight, with the way that he looked at her. Such love evident on his face and she wants it so badly. She wants all that he has been offering up to her, yet a lingering fear still churns within that she might ruin everything. Her track record with relationships is not the best and this is one she just can't mess up.

First thing first though, things need to end with Josh.

* * *

He is so angry at himself. Castle allows his body to flop back onto the bed as he mentally berates himself. Touching her was a mistake. How many times over the last few days did he tell himself he needed to be careful, and yet, he still messed up.

Even though things were not great with Meredith, for a long time, he remembers being ripped to shreds inside when he caught her cheating. He would never do that or be a part of doing that to another person. Yet, tonight he came so very close to kissing her, and hell, he may not have been able to stop from doing more. He's disappointed with himself and vows it can't-won't happen again.

Castle will keep his distance. He shouldn't be the one comforting her-no matter how much he wants to. If there's one thing he has realized over the last few days, it's just how much he truly loves her. He doesn't just have feelings for her, or want her, or care about her. He one hundred percent loves her. And if she chooses to be with someone else, he'll step aside. He will do whatever makes her happy no matter how hard it is.

No matter how hard.

* * *

The room is quiet and dark when she wakes up the next morning. She should really look into getting some blackout curtains at home like the ones the hotel has. It took a few hours, but she had managed to finally calm down enough to sleep.

Rolling over, she unplugs her phone from the charger and looks at the time. 10 am. 10 am! She hasn't slept that late since she was a teenager, but she does feel a little better this morning. There's more excitement for what could come next with Castle, the possibilities of really diving in with him seem so close now. Some of that fear now has been replaced by butterflies of delicious excitement floating around her belly.

She makes herself decent before heading out to the living room area of the suite. Castle's door is ajar but nowhere to be seen. There's a note left on the coffee table with the room service menu.

_I thought you might need the rest, so I went out for a run. _

_Didn't want the food to get cold, or I would have got you breakfast. _

_Order anything you like, the french toast is fabulous._

_-Castle _

He's always trying to take care of her. The flutters start up again in her chest.

Kate is just finishing up her meal when he walks through the door. Dressed in jogging pants and a sleeveless shirt, sweaty from his run, he greets her with a small smile. "Hey, you sleep ok?"

"Yeah. It took awhile, but once I fell asleep I was out cold."

"Well, I'm sure you needed it after the last few days."

"Yeah," she sighs taking him in and noticing the dark circles under his eyes, suddenly realizing how affected he must have been by what almost happened last night. "Did you-um, did you sleep ok?" she asks suddenly nervous. She didn't already mess up her chance with him, did she?

"I guess ok," he says rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm going to go jump in the shower."

"Ok," she says watching the muscles in his back as he walks back to his room and closes the door.

Kate makes another attempt at contacting Josh that morning. There is no answer on his cell, and she even goes as far as calling the hospital, only to find out he's in surgery.

Castle's out in the living room watching the news when she ends that call. She can't help but notice with fresh eyes, just how handsome he is, hair still a little damp falling onto his forehead, practically begging her to push it aside for him.

"So, what should we do today?" she asks, pushing aside those thoughts. "There are still a few hours before we need to be at the airport. We could take a scenic ride or swim or something…"

He shrugs his shoulders noncommittally before answering, "Why don't you choose. Anything is fine."

Kate's brow furrows as she takes in what he said. Normally he's up for an adventure, squeezing in activity out of every part of the day and now, now he doesn't seem to care. A little knot of dread starts to tighten within her.

"Listen, um-about last night, Castle… I'm sorry that-"

"Beckett, let's not… Can we please just forget about last night," he says pointedly not looking her in the eye.

"Yeah, that's fine. I just, I hope we're ok…"

He slowly releases a breath. "We're fine."

Castle rises from the couch as he speaks, "You're right, why don't we pack up, check out and drive to the boardwalk before we head to the airport. Ok?"

"Sure," she manages to respond, still feeling awkward with their interaction. She knows she won't be able to fully make things better with him until she has that dreaded conversation with Josh.

* * *

The bellhop finishes loading their luggage into the Ferrari and they are off to take in a little more of the sun and fresh air before heading home. A part of him wants to stay. He wants to be in this little bubble where it is just Rick and Kate, no other distractions or murders and just spend time with her. Then he remembers how hard it is to be so close to her and not have her as his. To have her share her thoughts and feelings and want to comfort her and be there for her, but with the restraint of a boyfriend hanging over their heads, still.

Castle makes the mistake of looking over at her. Her dark is hair flying in the wind, and her face is lifted up to take in the sun. He reminds himself he just needs to play it cool for a few more hours. Then he can keep a little distance, and cool off.

He is so very ready to go home.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N Sincere gratitude to all who have left reviews. Even a tiny note brings much joy! Enjoy!_

* * *

He chooses the Venice Beach boardwalk due to its proximity to the airport. Though they weren't far from here when they made the arrest of Ganz, they really didn't get to do any sight seeing on this trip. Ultimately, he truly chose this place because it is loud, crowded and hopefully won't allow for any intimate conversations that might get him into trouble. He knew that seeing her in that swimsuit again would have been torture-delicious torture, but torture still. Plus, this way he can pick up some tacky souvenirs for Ryan and Espo.

They spend the next hour popping in and out of quirky shops. Castle manages to buy something from almost every one of them. The sidewalks are particularly crowded today and more than once, he's felt Beckett's hand grab ahold of his arm from behind, or felt her body press in close as he navigates through the waves of people so they don't get separated. Every time she does it, a shiver flows through his body.

Finally, having enough of the shopping crowds, they come across an ice cream stand and make a beeline towards it. Each decide on cones, his double chocolate fudge and hers strawberry. It's a busy sunny day and all the benches are full, so they walk until they find an uninhabited bit of sand to sit and finish eating.

Castle does his best to keep his eyes off of her as he eats. Focusing instead on the families building sand castles and people playing volleyball along the vast expanse of vanilla colored sand on either side of them. They've both been quiet today, but it's Beckett who finally breaches the silence.

"So, you think you picked up enough souvenirs, Castle?" She teases with the lift of an eyebrow in the direction of his pile of shopping bags.

"I do enjoy a good souvenir."

"I bet you have enough to give one to everyone working at the 12th."

"Probably true, but I had to get one for Ryan and Esposito, the Captain...LT, ok yes, everyone. Plus, I had to get something for my mother or I'd never hear the end of it," he says and then chases a line of melting chocolate down the side of the cone with his tongue. She tries so very hard not to make her staring obvious.

He glances up at her just as she flicks her eyes away.

"Wow, Beckett, you really liked your ice cream didn't you?" He teases noticing that all that is left is the final tip of her cone.

She pops it in her mouth and answers with a satisfied smile. "I guess we've been working together long enough that you should know this about me..."

He looks over to her puzzled. What should he know that he doesn't already?

She gently bites the corner of her lip and squeezes her eyes shut as she confesses, "Ice cream is my weakness."

Castle smiles wide. "Why Detective Beckett, I always knew there had to be something…"

She continues, "Potato chips…I can eat just one, no problem. French fries... I like, but I get my fill soon enough. But, ice cream… sweet, delicious, creamy ice cream. I just can't say no. It's my kryptonite."

This woman couldn't be more perfect.

"Now, I'm telling you this in confidence. You can _not _start bringing me ice cream everyday Castle or I'll end up weighing a thousand pounds," she says in her sternest voice.

He hums as he ponders, "Secret's safe with me."

Then a beat later he adds, "Sure you don't want to finish the rest of mine?" He says with a cheeky grin and a tilt of his ice cream cone towards her.

"_Castle!"_ She says feigning exasperation and shoving him on the shoulder.

"Fine, fine. I'll make the sacrifice and finish it myself."

He hears her laugh beside him.

Happy. That's how he feels with her. By nature he's an upbeat, optimistic person. But just like this, when he's with Kate, it's different. It's more than regular optimism that he feels. It's joy, rich and full and it reaches down into him and fills him up like nothing, besides his daughter, ever has. And like nothing else he thinks ever will.

* * *

The morning had started a little rocky. Castle's distance and quiet demeanor thus far had not gone unnoticed by Kate. As the day has progressed it feels as if they are back to their regular banter, and it helps to ease her fears.

Her eyes follow his tall frame as he stands to throw their napkins away in the trash bin. He drops something from his back pocket on his way and she rises to gather it for him. Bending down to retrieve the folded paper, she realizes that she has seen it before. It's her note from Royce, and it catches her off guard. Why does Castle have it? She hadn't even realized it was missing.

He's watching her intently as he approaches and he knows that is the letter in her hands. He regretted invading her privacy the minute he read it and worries now how she will react.

"Kate," he calls as he approaches her. She looks up, wide eyed at him. "I found it on the floor in the suite, I meant to give it back to you right away but you had already gone to bed."

"Did you, um...did you open it?" She asks.

"I didn't mean to, Kate. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, but yes I did," he stammers out. He can feel is face flush with embarrassment. When she doesn't respond right away, the need to explain brims over.

"I care about you, and I was worried about you. It didn't give me the right, though. I'm so sorry."

After another pause she takes in a deep breath and says, "Thanks for telling me the truth. I just-I just need a minute, ok?"

"Yeah, sure, of course," he replies. On the inside he berates himself yet again for his actions on this trip. He had come along to help her, but it seems like he's doing more harm than good.

She walks across the hot sand to a patch of boulders that jut into the water and sits on their sunsoaked surface. Castle stays back to give her some space, but can't take his eyes off of her silhouette. She opens the letter, her fingers gracing over the page for a beat. Then, she closes it and peers out into the ocean. He wishes he knew what she was thinking at this moment.

He texts Alexis while he sits on the sand, waiting for Kate to be ready to leave, or talk, or yell at him or anything really. After awhile, he feels the spray cast off by a large wave splash on his pant leg. The tide is coming in. He hadn't been paying attention, but the water is now threatening to soak the bottom of his shopping bags. He gathers them up, and searches for Kate, who is still sitting on the rocks. The water all around her is higher, and now it surrounds the rock mound on three sides and threatens to surround the entire thing. She's safe, but getting down might be a challenge now.

He's up and quickly jogging to her as he calls her name, still from a distance. "Kate! The tide is coming in! You should get down!"

She turns as she hears him; watches him drop his bags and climb up to meet her in the middle of the largest boulder. She obviously had not noticed the change in the sea either.

"Kate," he says with urgency, "we should go. We could get trapped up here."

"Yeah, you're right. I jus-just, can I ask you something first?"

He hesitates for a moment, mentally weighing the choice of getting off of the rocks or starting a conversation. The look on her face tells him it's important, so he answers with a sincere, "Anything."

"What do you think about what he said?"

What he said...oh, what Royce said? In the letter?

"Well," he draws out slowly. "I think he was being honest and he had changed. That he knew he had done you wrong and was trying hard to turn his life around."

"No, not-not that part. The part at the end…" she says as they lock each other's gaze.

The tide is rising.

He knows there is no way to misinterpret or side step her question. Not now. His heart pounds double time in his chest. It sounds so loud in his own ears that he fears Kate will be able to hear it over the roar of the waves.

Hadn't he chosen to come here to guarantee they wouldn't get caught in another situation like this? Not to be in a spot where his whole being longs to declare his love for her?

He can feel the waves crash higher onto the rocks and fill the gaps in between each one. Little puddles form in the dips and crevices of their smooth surface. With every roll of a wave more water splashes onto them, soaking their feet. The errant spray reaches up and mists their faces leaving behind its salty mark.

Kate doesn't even flinch as she waits for him to respond, doesn't notice the ocean growing at their feet. He has to raise his voice to be heard above the waves now.

"I think Royce was right."

There, he said it. What they have _is_ real, and he _does_ think she's afraid. Afraid to take a chance, to risk her heart and dive in and truly be happy, _with him_. But he hopes that one day she will be able to.

"I think so too," she says to his amazement.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N Sorry for the delay and for any mistakes. I hope you enjoy the conclusion to my little story. A giant thank you for all the lovely comments. _

* * *

_where we left off:_

_"I think Royce was right."_

_There, he said it. What they have is real, and he does think she's afraid. Afraid to take a chance, to risk her heart and dive in and truly be happy, with him. But he hopes that one day she will be able to. _

_"I think so too," she says to his amazement. _

* * *

He sucks in a deep breath, obviously not prepared for where this conversation has led them.

"You have no idea - _no idea_," he emphasizes, "how much I want to continue this conversation right now, but Beckett, we have to get down from here," Rick says extending his hand to her.

She seems to take in the situation then, peering over the side of the rocks at the water level. Kate takes a step towards him and reaches for his hand. She holds tight as he turns and leads the way back to the path he took to get up. Her fingers tangle with his as she hovers at his back, checking over his shoulder, following his gaze.

"Ok, I think this is the best spot, but we're going to get wet," he says, turning to face her.

She nods, seemingly content to take his lead. He's forced to let go of her hand as he turns and starts down the crevasse path. A moment later he reaches the bottom, landing in water shin deep and gazes back up at her.

"Castle, take these for me please?" She asks, extending her shoes to him. There's no way she'd make it down wearing the wedge heels without getting stuck.

He takes them, and tries not to stare inappropriately at her body as she turns and slinks down the side. Castle reaches up to place a hand on the small of her back to help steady her as she nears the bottom, and soon they are face to face again, a near breath away from each other, the ocean dancing at their feet.

"Thank you," she says reaching out to take her shoes from his grasp.

"Yeah, you're welcome."

They stare at each other for what feels like forever. When she says nothing more, he awkwardly makes a show of checking his watch.

"So, we should...we should go," he states.

"Right, we don't want to miss our flight," Kate says, but somehow it sounds more like a question than a fact.

He gathers his bags and they silently walk back to the sidewalk that leads to the rental car. Both lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

It's when they are finally seated on the plane, a glass of wine on each of their drop-down trays, that she releases a breath and feels like she can finally relax. They'd stayed too long at the beach, traffic had been a nightmare and they had nearly missed the flight.

Castle kindly offered her the window seat this time and she took a moment to glance out at the fluffy clouds that lingered below them and watched the glow of the setting sun in the distance.

How does she get them back to that moment on the beach? Back to the moment when she felt brave and had a chance to lay out all she's been feeling before him?

He's been quiet ever since then. It feels like maybe it was a mistake. She gave him a hint of what she wanted without being able to give it to him. Was that even fair of her to do?

Kate looks over at her partner, the man who she knows deep in her soul would do anything for her. She feels warmth spread through her chest at having him near. The desire to grab his hand and connect with him is so strong. But she can't be unfair, unjust to him. So, she lets the feeling pass. She leaves him to finish scrolling his twitter account and turns to open her own book.

The flight is short in terms of measurable time, but it _feels_ agonizingly long.

Something has changed between them, Castle had noticed. She opened up, she threw a clue out there for him but so unlike his nature, he let it go. He didn't push, he didn't investigate. Even once they were settled on the plane, he just - can't.

What is he going to say to her? She is still spoken for, and that phrase is on repeat over and over in his head. It paralyzes his tongue in a way that he never thought possible, a way that would make Beckett proud of him in certain other circumstances he is sure.

But, he can feel it. He knows now she was giving him a sign, a prologue to the first chapter of what could be _their_ story. He needs to trust what has been growing between them, trust her, and he needs to wait.

She's sleeping the next time he looks over at her and he hopes that soon he'll be able to wake up to her sleeping by his side every day.

* * *

It's late when they arrive in New York and they share a cab home from the airport. Castle insists that she be dropped home first even though the cabbie will have to back track to take him home. They roll to a stop at the curb by her apartment and Castle reaches to unbuckle his seat belt when she stops him, a warm hand to his forearm.

"I'll get my bag," she assures him. "Castle, I just, I want to thank you. What you did for me...going out there with me, it really means a lot." Her wide eyes meet his and lock. "So, thank you."

"Partners, remember?" He responds with a nod.

"Yeah, partners," she replies quietly, making no attempt to leave the car.

That is when he makes the mistake of looking out the window behind her and his face falls.

"It looks like you have company," Castle sighs, nodding towards the street. She turns and sees Josh standing right outside the security door. The look on his face suggests he has seen them as well.

"Right, I should go. Thank you again Castle."

"Kate," he's says grabbing her attention as she reaches for the door handle, "I know we have a tendency to _not _talk about things, but I hope we get a chance to finish the conversation from the beach."

Turning back she gives him a small smile, "Me too."

He looks away as she gets out and retrieves her small bag from the trunk, but makes it a point to _not_ watch her leave. He can't stand the thought of her being welcomed home by another man.

* * *

"Josh," Kate calls as she approaches him. "I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"I know, I got your messages, but I just got off shift a few hours ago. I got worried when didn't answer, so I came to see if you were home."

"Yeah, I was still in the air. Listen, why don't you come up. I think we need to talk."

* * *

He hasn't seen her in two days. She was off the day after they got back and had texted on Monday morning that she would be stuck catching up on paper work all day. Montgomery had found a little extra grunt work for her, what she assumed was his attempt at a gentle reprimand for her going rogue.

Castle spent most of the day writing - make that attempting to write, but found focusing a near impossible act.

Writing Nikki Heat always made him think about Beckett.

Around seven, he's pulled from his edits at the sound of a knock reverberating through the empty loft. He rises from the chair and hears the knock again as he reaches the living room.

"Coming!" he calls, reaching out to open the door suddenly finding himself face to face with his partner.

"Beckett," he says in surprise. "hi."

"Hey," she says, a timid smile claiming her face.

"Um-come in, come in." He opens the door wider for her and allows her pass before locking it again. "Would you like something to drink? I was thinking of opening up a bottle of wine."

"Yeah, that sounds nice, Castle." Kate kicks off her heels at the door and wanders into his apartment, following him into the kitchen. He retrieves the wine from the fridge and turns to see Kate reaching up on her toes for the glasses, expertly retrieving them from the correct cabinet. A flutter passes through his chest.

"So," he muses as he passes her half a glass of red, "to what do I owe the honor of your presence detective?"

Kate takes a long, slow sip before setting the glass down on the counter. "I was hoping to talk with you about something," she starts, eyes gazing around the loft. "Are you home alone?"

"Yeah, Mother and Alexis are out tonight. Alexis' study group has turned into a sleepover at Becca's house apparently. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. Everything..everything's good, she reassures him the sides of her lips edging up into a small smile.

His shoulders relax at her words. They both take another sip of wine. He's doing his best to be patient tonight, content to simply be in her presence. It's a rare event that Beckett invites herself over to his place so there must be something important on her mind.

"I broke up with Josh."

Oh. _Oh!_

"Are you alright?" He asks, eyes raking over her face, analyzing every expression.

"Yeah. It actually was a long time coming. We never really even saw each other anymore."

"Well, I am sorry, I know breakups can be rough."

"Actually, I think we were both relieved. I think we both just stayed in the relationship because it was easy. It was safe," she says, eyes transfixed on the wine she is swirling around in her glass. "But, for quite awhile I've known that isn't want I really want."

His eyebrows rise in silent question and curiosity at that. "Oh really?" He nearly squeaks out, trying his best to keep his composure. His heart is pulsing double speed at the direction this visit is taking.

"Yes," she breathes out. "Castle, that day, on the rocks..."

He places his wine glass on the counter beside hers and slowly walks to join her on the other side of the kitchen island. Rick watches her as she tilts her face down, her silky curls falling over her cheek and hiding the side of her face.

Rick feels the hope rising up inside of him.

He knows her pulse must match his by the way her chest is rising and falling rapidly. He sucks in a breath full of anticipation. "That day on the rocks…" he says in encouragement.

When she doesn't continue, he runs his hand over hers where it's laying flat on the counter top. She watches him caress each of her fingers for several seconds before her eyes raise to meet the sincere eyes that beckon her to him.

"You."

That is all she says, and then she realizes by the crinkle of his forehead that she's not being clear.

"You are the reason I broke up with Josh. You are who I want to be with Castle. I-"

The crash of his lips against her own cut her off. The soft press of his body pushes her back into the counter and the gentleness of his tongue slides past her lips and steals the words from her mouth.

His broad hands slide around her sides and land low on her waist. He's brushing her hip bones with his thumbs, sending heat straight to her core. Kate lifts her hand around his neck and plays with the soft hairs she finds as she angles her head to kiss him deeper.

A moan escapes him and the hands at her waist tighten and draw his body even closer. The move allows her to feel more of him - makes her want all of him right now.

He pulls his lips away from her but doesn't stray far, gently brushes his nose against hers as their chests heave together.

"Kate," he whispers.

"Mmm?" she hums, a soft hand caressing the side of his face.

"Is this too soon? Is this ok?" He implores, eyes wide and insecurity written on his face.

She swoops in for a fast kiss. "It's not soon enough. Rick, I've wanted this for a long time. This - being with you, it finally feels right," she smiles reassuringly.

"It feels perfect," he agrees leaning in to kiss her again.

This time it deepens quickly. He brings his hands up to cradle her face, one slipping into her hair to angle her head for his exploration of her mouth.

Her hands slide over his chest and she begins to open each button in his soft flannel shirt, desperately seeking the warmth of his skin.

She reaches the bottom and tugs his shirt up, finally free to roam exposed chest and causing him to shiver. He pulls away with a pop of their lips and placing his hands on top of hers, pressing them into him.

"Kate, if we do this, I-I won't be able to go back."

"I know, and I don't want to go back. I just want you Rick. I want - _us."_

She's never seen him smile wider than this moment, but she stops him with a palm to his chest just before his lips catch hers again.

"But, I need you to help me."

"Help you with what?" He asks with furrowed brow.

"I don't want to mess this up. What if we don't work Castle? You mean so much to me, our partnership means so much, what if this doesn't work?"

His hands are making small circles on her back, a sensation that soothes and drives her blood pressure up at the same time.

"Listen, I can't guarantee that everything will be perfect. My track record with relationships isn't exactly shining, but Kate, with you it's always been different than any relationship I've ever had. We've already gotten through tougher situations together than most couples go through in a lifetime. And we're just getting started."

She's quiet for a moment but her eyes are dark and sultry when she looks up at him again. "You do have a point, Castle. And just think, now when we fight, we get to have amazing make up sex."

He chuckles, his smile reaching up and making his eyes crinkle in delight. Castle draws her body back into his embrace and kisses her again. "We're going to be extraordinary."


End file.
